Affiliate links on the Kindle etc?

Just a question that popped into my head. Yesterday I posted on here as I am just starting out in the world of internet marketing, and someone asked me if the free ebook I have written on pregnancy could be uploaded onto Amazon Kindle publishing.

I already have some books on there that I self published (two for my other half, and some *ahem* erotic fiction that I wrote). They do okay for themselves without any promotion (not going to retire anytime soon, but a bit of pocket money).

My question is, if I add affiliate links to my new ebook, when someone downloads it onto their eReader, would the affiliate links work?

I'm not sure if they would work, but remember that you'd also have to expect them to make the purchase on their Kindle since that's where they clicked on the affiliate link, a lot of people would likely get on their computer and make the purchase.

Wondering if maybe I could put it on Amazon, but at the end of the eBook write a bit on (for example) if you would like to be kept up to date with new hints and tips for baby and beyond, join FB page here blah blah blah.............

You can and should have links for people to get more information about the subject in your Kindle book. A better idea would be to have a link where they can sign up for a free report, then you can market to them once they are on your list. You can also have a link to your author website as well. Consider putting these types of links in both the front and back matter of your book-valuable real estate.

My question is, if I add affiliate links to my new ebook, when someone downloads it onto their eReader, would the affiliate links work?

I would advice against using direct affiliate links in your Kindle book. Although a lot of people are getting away with it at the moment I think it's only a question of time before we are due another "Kindle slap" like the one on PLR and to some degree on the recipe books.

To add affiliate links I would suggest the following:

1. Create a review page on your website, (with a pop-up offering their free gift for opting in to your list) and on that page you compare maybe 3-4 different products/services and then have affiliate links from that page.

That way you both capturing (some of) your book buyers onto your list and can continue to market to them for a long time, and you stay within the Amazon TOS by linking to your own website.

2. Alternatively, if you are determined to add affiliate links to your book, at least make them links to your website like this: www.mywebsite.com/coolproduct and then redirect that link from your site to the affiliate link.

By doing this you are accomplishing three things:

a) It looks better to Amazon when they review the book.

b) You can re-direct the link after your book has passed through the review process.

c) In case you ever want to switch affiliate programs in the future you can easily do that by changing the re-direct of your link.

As I said though, I would strongly advice against using affiliate links directly in the book since it is against the TOS, and it's not worth jeopardizing your account with Amazon.

Don't forget to add an amazing free gift as a "thank you" to your buyers and make them opt-in to your list to get it...

1. Create a review page on your website, (with a pop-up offering their free gift for opting in to your list) and on that page you compare maybe 3-4 different products/services and then have affiliate links from that page.

Don't forget to add an amazing free gift as a "thank you" to your buyers and make them opt-in to your list to get it...

I guess creating a review page on your website is something that must really be considered well. So that people will get ideas about the books and so that they will not regrets things.
Anyway, free gifts are cool too. I actually like that idea.

I did this book as a personal experiment about 5 years ago, and it's on my adventures doing paid focus groups, clinical research and paid surveys. It's a memoir and a how to book. I did it for fun, but it applies to the paid survey folks and that niche.

I just turned it into a kindle book, and am building the local supporting site.

Goals-
-Sell book
-Get folks to opt in to list
-Put CPA survey offers in either book, or website, or both so I get back end CPA sign ups for legitimate survey companies. (I'm putting in my master list, so it's valuable)
-Then if the book gets sold for free, or given away, I might get CPA sign up revenue, and hopefully an opt in.
IF the book is sold, then the person opts in, and also signs up for some CPA offers, that's perfect.

What do you think the best way to get Opt Ins for your list from kindle book are?

Have them go to the supporting website and opt in with some incentive or put a link directly in the book?

I'm trying to sell the book, but I would rather capture the OPT IN than sell the book.

Also, If I have CPA offer links I want to put in the book, do you think I'll do better putting them on a site or in an appendix of the book?

Putting a link to your other work seems quite reasonable. As Amy said a link to your mailing list is the ideal way to do it. Then have the redirect (the page the user gets to after they subscribe be to your author page or another amazon product page). Does this make sense? Let me know

You should definitely have affiliate links inside your kindle books...I do and it works great. And then at the end of every book, I write a sales letter that's essentially selling a related product that I've developed myself at a steep discount.

So if the book is about SEO, at the end of the book I'd write a sales letter offering 50% off my SEO Membership site...etc.

As I see it, CPA offers are no different than any other compensated offer.

Even if the affiliate slap never comes, here are a couple of other things to think about.

> While web capabilities on Kindle devices are getting better, older models have a very rudimentary browser with a clunky interface for entering info (think texting on a regular telephone keypad).

> If some types of reviewers catch the affiliate links, they will crucify you. I've seen a ton of one-star reviews for "publishing a thinly disguised ad." Kindle buyers are different than your average freebie hunter. They've paid for their read, even if it's only $0.99. They don't expect ads. They'll explore a free offer or a follow-up list. They seem to love resource pages. But straight up affiliate links, CPA or otherwise? You're playing with firecrackers and jeopardizing you ability to count to ten...

I do not get it. Amazon created a rule that no advertisements are allowed inside Kindle books, but you are talking about affiliate link slap or that the affiliate slap is not reinforced yet.

There are a lot of advertisemets inside Kindle books, but they still get approved to the Kindle Store despite that "no advertisements rule." They are saying one, but they approve something against that rule. One day, you may wake up with account blocked from Amazon for a book they approved months ago.

I just learned that you cannot even advertise your own Kindle books inside your existing books. This would help publishers and Amazon make more sales. It would help customers to learn more on the subject, but still, they are like living in a box where rules constraint their earning potential. Probably they do not care, because Amazon is making over $10 million every 90 minutes - who knows. But publishers are the ones who get the hard stick... Anyways, the only limitations people have are the ones they put on themselves.

Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe

As I see it, CPA offers are no different than any other compensated offer.

Even if the affiliate slap never comes, here are a couple of other things to think about.

> While web capabilities on Kindle devices are getting better, older models have a very rudimentary browser with a clunky interface for entering info (think texting on a regular telephone keypad).

> If some types of reviewers catch the affiliate links, they will crucify you. I've seen a ton of one-star reviews for "publishing a thinly disguised ad." Kindle buyers are different than your average freebie hunter. They've paid for their read, even if it's only $0.99. They don't expect ads. They'll explore a free offer or a follow-up list. They seem to love resource pages. But straight up affiliate links, CPA or otherwise? You're playing with firecrackers and jeopardizing you ability to count to ten...

Amazon Links:
Absolutely NO Amazon Associate links allowed in Kindle books
YES you can link to a book on Amazon but the link must not be an Associate LInk

Other Links
Direct Affiliate Links - This is a gray area. Amazon support will tell you that you CAN add links IF it adds to the book and is not just for advertising. (I have the email from them)
Best practice IMO is to link to an article on your website instead of a direct affiliate link in a book.

What I Do:
I write a lot of non fiction. On occasion I will include a link to my website if I feel that the post there can share more information.

I link to all of my books in the back of each book (NOT using an affiliate link).
I do however link to my books at Amazon on my websites using an affiliate link.

I offer a free report with more information at the back of my book in exchange for an email sign up.

Hi, thanks for your input. Here's what the KDP support wrote me a couple of hours ago.

"I'm sorry, it is not possible to include the content as well links to other Kindle books in your book's content. You may include links to sites as long as there are no promotional content or advertisements."

So if you add links to other Kindle books inside your book, is against the Amazon's TOC. Go figure!

Originally Posted by LilBlackDress

On affiliate links in Kindle books:

Amazon Links:
Absolutely NO Amazon Associate links allowed in Kindle books
YES you can link to a book on Amazon but the link must not be an Associate LInk

Other Links
Direct Affiliate Links - This is a gray area. Amazon support will tell you that you CAN add links IF it adds to the book and is not just for advertising. (I have the email from them)
Best practice IMO is to link to an article on your website instead of a direct affiliate link in a book.

What I Do:
I write a lot of non fiction. On occasion I will include a link to my website if I feel that the post there can share more information.

I link to all of my books in the back of each book (NOT using an affiliate link).
I do however link to my books at Amazon on my websites using an affiliate link.

I offer a free report with more information at the back of my book in exchange for an email sign up.

Hi, thanks for your input. Here's what the KDP support wrote me a couple of hours ago.

"I'm sorry, it is not possible to include the content as well links to other Kindle books in your book's content. You may include links to sites as long as there are no promotional content or advertisements."

So if you add links to other Kindle books inside your book, is against the Amazon's TOC. Go figure!

Many, many authors have links to their books within their Kindle books. This is allowed. However the links must not be affiliate links as that is not allowed by Amazon Associate's TOS.

Amazon Affiliate links in PDF's and books are against Amazon Associates TOS. But just linking to a product or book without it being an aff. link is allowed.

I just quoted Amazon's KDP support staff. Her name was Anita Doss. Go argue with her. I also have links to my books inside my Kindle books that aren't affiliate ones. That was the response that I got when I sent a screenshot to what I was trying to do with a new book that I was publishing.

Chris

Originally Posted by LilBlackDress

Many, many authors have links to their books within their Kindle books. This is allowed. However the links must not be affiliate links as that is not allowed by Amazon Associate's TOS.

Amazon Affiliate links in PDF's and books are against Amazon Associates TOS. But just linking to a product or book without it being an aff. link is allowed.

I just quoted Amazon's KDP support staff. Her name was Anita Doss. Go argue with her. I also have links to my books inside my Kindle books that aren't affiliate ones. That was the response that I got when I sent a screenshot to what I was trying to do with a new book that I was publishing.

Chris

You need to write support again for clarification. Sometimes the support people will share an answer that is partially quoting their TOS or what not.

I just did that to clarify some points. It does not make any sense to NOT include other Kindle books inside the book's content - especially for books that you owe. I'll probably get a response within a few hours.

Originally Posted by LilBlackDress

You need to write support again for clarification. Sometimes the support people will share an answer that is partially quoting their TOS or what not.

What if I add CPA offers inside the Kindle book? Does anyone do it? If so, how's that working with Amazon and their terms of service? If you have an approved example, please submit it here :-)

I have seen authors use their books pretty much as squeeze pages.
Just saw one the other day on how to get bountiful breasts (yes you too can get the big breasts you have always wanted) which led to a breast enhancement product.

With a little sleuthing I could see the author was writing multiple books on problems he solved with pricey products under different names using similar bios etc. The books were floundering in the rankings and getting slammed in the reviews and rightly so.

It is one thing to help someone with more information and another to turn a book into a long advertisement.

Hi, thanks for your input. Here's what the KDP support wrote me a couple of hours ago.

"I'm sorry, it is not possible to include the content as well links to other Kindle books in your book's content. You may include links to sites as long as there are no promotional content or advertisements."

So if you add links to other Kindle books inside your book, is against the Amazon's TOC. Go figure!

I think you got an incomplete answer here. From observation, it looks like it's perfectly acceptable to link to your own books, using non-affiliate links. Not allowing links to others might be a different issue. I can see where there is room for abusive cross-promotion, or using pen names to shill for each other.

Originally Posted by Guru_Marketing

I just did that to clarify some points. It does not make any sense to NOT include other Kindle books inside the book's content - especially for books that you owe. I'll probably get a response within a few hours.

I'll be curious to find out what she says. If her initial response is accurate, most of the Kindle marketplace is violating the rules.:confused:

"Our KDP Terms and Conditions do allow for linking within the content to other books that you own, this is not in violation with our policies, you can link the detail page of another Amazon title of yours for sale on Amazon with no problem, you could direct them to the Amazon detail page or to your own website if you sell your books in your own website.

Also, it's fine to include a link to your own website within the content of your Kindle book, but not links to any Amazon Affiliate. This is how our policies work and we reserve the right to determine what content we consider to be appropriate. We don't believe it will be good customer experience to go into an external website to click on a link that will direct them to Amazon again. This is why we don't allow linking to Amazon Affiliates.

So, clarifying the email from my colleague, it IS allowed for you to link other titles that you have within the content of your books, CPA are not allowed!"

"Our KDP Terms and Conditions do allow for linking within the content to other books that you own, this is not in violation with our policies, you can link the detail page of another Amazon title of yours for sale on Amazon with no problem, you could direct them to the Amazon detail page or to your own website if you sell your books in your own website.

Also, it's fine to include a link to your own website within the content of your Kindle book, but not links to any Amazon Affiliate. This is how our policies work and we reserve the right to determine what content we consider to be appropriate. We don't believe it will be good customer experience to go into an external website to click on a link that will direct them to Amazon again. This is why we don't allow linking to Amazon Affiliates.

So, clarifying the email from my colleague, it IS allowed for you to link other titles that you have within the content of your books, CPA are not allowed!"

I agree about building your list...I have lots of book on Kindle and I am able to make sales from the links to a website that offers an affiliate product. It is a great way to build a list and make sales at the same time, but follow the advice above that is detailed about the best way to go about this.

Just a question that popped into my head. Yesterday I posted on here as I am just starting out in the world of internet marketing, and someone asked me if the free ebook I have written on pregnancy could be uploaded onto Amazon Kindle publishing.

I already have some books on there that I self published (two for my other half, and some *ahem* erotic fiction that I wrote). They do okay for themselves without any promotion (not going to retire anytime soon, but a bit of pocket money).

My question is, if I add affiliate links to my new ebook, when someone downloads it onto their eReader, would the affiliate links work?